Somehow we thought we could skip this part, the dying part. It wouldn’t really happen to us or anyone we love. Somehow we had thought we could outrun it, avoid it indefinitely, but here it is and we aren’t ready. Facing end of life is the ultimate existential crisis and it takes you by surprise at a visceral, physical level, even if you had long ago accepted it intellectually.
Our western society is so inept at facing death, doctors seem to view death as the ultimate failure, something to be avoided at all costs, rather than the inevitable conclusion of a life. We are removed from death, it has been medicalized and we are often offered treatments to prolong life without regard for what it may do to the quality of that extended period of life.
If you are facing end of life, or are supporting someone facing the end of life, receiving counseling from someone who has experience in the field, and who isn’t afraid to address the big questions, can be enormously helpful in putting things into place so that you have as much autonomy, choice and control as possible at the end.
CONTACT ME to schedule a free 30-minute introductory session to learn more about how counseling can help you navigate the specific challenges and choices you or someone you are caring for may be facing at end of life.